Spiritual Balance | Michelle Cromer

Spiritual Girls Trip!

Michelle Cromer April 22, 2024 Leave a Comment

We all have that one friend who is either on a trip, planning a trip, thinking about a trip or just getting back from a trip. That friend for me is Laurel Geise.

Laurel and I met in the summer of 2005 while checking emails in the business center at an airport hotel in Bangkok. Laurel, a Florida business executive, was the perfect balance of business meets Zen; she looked as if she would be equally comfortable in a boardroom or on a hike in the Himalayas. But it wasn’t until I heard her infectious laugh that I knew we would be lifelong friends. Her laughter starts from within and then travels to her eyes, which are the color of hot cocoa, sprinkled with tiny flecks of gold like mini marshmallows. Just being around her snickers and giggles is enough to transport me far far away from any worries I might have.

Over the years we have made an effort to travel to spiritually-based places like Tibet, Peru, Sedona, Katmandu, and Naples. Every time Laurel calls about our next great adventure, I get that tingly feeling that spreads to my brain right down to my fingers and toes. I need the buzz of the new, the thrill of the unknown, the seeking of new answers that push my limits. Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the mysterious.

Every spiritual trip we have taken has become a quest to discover who we truly are, what life is about, and why we are here. But nothing could have prepared me for our recent spiritual quest to Israel. “l’ai pas vu venir” – I didn’t see it coming. I was a religious study major in college yet I didn’t expect Israel to affect me so completely. So deeply. Even though so many have walked all the same steps in this Holy Land we made our own footprints. We entered paths where others have found meaning and even transcended; but in order to answer the question of our own lives, we had to show up and take our own steps. The only genuine safety in the world comes from risking oneself completely in order to become oneself more fully. Laurel and I did this.

I know I won’t ever be the same. This trip has cracked open something in me. I feel the opening up of an entire way of seeing and being present in the world. It’s not every day I get to slip behind temple doors, peek into ancient scenes, and see levels of the world that have timeless meanings and wild intelligence even amidst modern settings.

It’s good to be home, yet there is sadness and a longing I feel, having to wake up from the dream we shared. When I saw my lime green suitcase and Laurel’s black one coming out of the carousel at the end of our trip, I lost it. I sobbed and sobbed. And I cried on and off for days after. I know this was a physical release of a soul-filled experience.

Each journey we have shared has offered me a nugget of truth. In Israel, I discovered that the outward trips we have taken have lead me to an inward journey that has shown me how to bring more presence to my daily life, the ability to be more conscious, and permission to become uniquely and bizarrely myself.

I don’t know where our next girl’s trip will take us but I do know that I will always be ready for the next one with mi amiga del alma, a friend of my soul. Because in the end life is not about the destination or the journey, as so many have said. It’s about who walks with you and the friends you make along the way.

Have any questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Creating a Meaningful Life.

Living a Radically Balanced and Congruent Life

Michelle Cromer April 1, 2024 Leave a Comment

At my first real job, there was a partner in the firm who was having an affair way before there was the Internet. The mistress would mail him letters and our receptionist would carefully open each letter, make copies for everyone in the office, distribute them in our mailboxes, put the letter back in the envelope, and deliver it to the cheating partner.
Should I have?

Told the receptionist to stop this immediately.
Tell the wife of the partner
Make popcorn because this was a great novella!

Yes, stopping the behavior would have been the proper thing to do, but I chose “c” because why the hell not? I didn’t like the man. However, if this happened today, I would respond differently because living a balanced life means there are no lines separating your beliefs, your integrity, and your character.

For most of my life, I lived highly compartmentalized. I was one person when I was with my friends, a different person at work, and yet another person with my family. I didn’t even realize I was at least three different people on any given day, and none of them was me. They all contained fragments of me, hidden beneath my attempts to be something I was not. It’s this kind of fragmentation that chokes the spirit. It took me a long time to realize that even though a lot of people choose to live this way, I don’t have to.

When I wrote my first book, Exit Strategy; Thinking Outside the Box that was the only thing I did. I didn’t volunteer at the homeless shelter, I didn’t have dinner parties, or participate in social media. I wrote and edited and wrote and edited until it was done. My life was highly unbalanced, and it was extremely effective. However, during this highly unbalanced success, I continued to attempt to accomplish inner balance, meaning every thought, action, project, and dream, everything flowed together and in the same direction. All aspects of my life were in sync. The sense of purpose was startlingly clear. I realized then that when I’m living in complete congruence, complete alignment, and complete balance, no part of me is conflicting with any other part of me. There is no disagreement. No disturbance. No imitation.

Being Balanced is godly.

Although simple to articulate, there is nothing simple or easy about becoming a balanced human being. Yet, accomplishing inner balance is the foundation of why we pursue a spiritual path. We cannot be truly healthy if we are out of alignment. We cannot be truly honest with others or ourselves if our head and heart exist as two separate forces within us. We cannot ever know what a fulfilled life is about if we are always compromising our intuition and inner guidance for fear of the consequences. We can never consider ourselves truly honest people if we live a life of continual compromise and self-betrayal.

What would it mean to live an inner-balanced life? Self-esteem would be rooted in personal integrity. Intuitive guidance would work in harmony with our intellectual and emotional resources. The field of life would be engaged on multiple levels, acknowledging the continual operation between the physical and mystical realms. Physical laws govern the physical life and mystical laws govern the soul’s journey. The connecting bridge is inner balance.

Of course, we’re not the same person in every situation all the time. We’re not binary, single-function amoebas. We manifest and express ourselves differently according to what is appropriate to the events surrounding us. That’s pretty natural. What is not natural is to change who we are; manipulating ourselves in order to fit some kind of mold of what is or isn’t right.

I strive every day for there to be no discernible difference between the person I am when I am working and when I am playing. Everything ideally is completely integrated between my heart, mind, body, and soul. No division between my purpose and my life path. My desires and dreams and my contribution to the world are one and the same. This is what it means to me to be completely and radically balanced.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Creating a Meaningful Life.

Feeling Stuck?

Michelle Cromer March 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

“Every choice in life either moves you forward or keeps you stuck.”
Oprah Winfrey

Every one of us has had the feeling of being stuck. And, we’ve been stuck for a whole lot of reasons. Whatever those reasons may be, I know we can find our way out. The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

Here are some practical ways to get free from three areas of our lives:

Physical – Clear away the clutter and distractions. There are a lot of things that can clutter our physical lives – unhealthy behaviors, fear, an incomplete project, toxic relationships, and physical clutter in our space. Start cleaning out those closets, drawers, emails, friends, and outdated beliefs. Get out of your comfort zone by shaking up your routine and adding some excitement to your daily routine.
Any of these solutions will help you find your rhythm.
Mental – When we are stuck, we all have one thing in common, mental noise. Being mindful of our mindset and self-talk is important to living a life of freedom and fulfillment. To quiet that racket, practice gratitude. Write out all the things you are thankful for.
Spiritual – Do some deep reflection. Make space to reflect on where you are in life and where you want to be. A meaningful antidote to being stuck is serving someone else in a practical way. Look for a way to help someone every day. Have a conversation with a higher power. Conversations also include listening, so create a space of silence. Take a pause and go on a spiritual retreat to refresh and renew your purpose.

There is a difference between being stuck and choosing to stay. Between being found and finding yourself. Even the tiniest step forward is a step in the right direction.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

There’s Something About Mary

Michelle Cromer January 15, 2024 Leave a Comment

Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christianity. Yet, if you look in the bible, you’ll only find a handful of verses that speak of her. Mary Magdalene, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to the crucifixion and resurrection. At least that is the narrative that has been propitiated by the church for thousands of years. I studied theology in college and when I learned about Mary, she always felt to be a whole lot more than just that.

After I graduated, I learned of a gospel, as ancient and authentic as any found in the Christian Bible. It was concealed deep in the Egyptian desert during the 4th century, following an edict to destroy all existing copies. Fortunately, some rebel monks were brave enough and wise enough to refuse- and thanks to their faith, disobedience, and spiritual bravery, we have several manuscripts of the only gospel that was written in the name of a woman: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

Mary’s gospel unveils a profound love that lies at the core of the Christian narrative. It asserts that our nature is not inherently sinful, and we need not harbor shame or a sense of unworthiness for our humanity. Instead, our purpose is to embrace our full humanity to embody a true human being – one who recognizes the coexistence of a messy, limited ego and an infinite soul.

In an attempt of the Catholic Church to dismantle the Divine Feminine, the misconception of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute primarily originated during a 6th-century sermon delivered by Pope Gregory. This fiction accomplished two things – diminishing Mary’s teachings and women having leadership roles. The characterization evolved over centuries through various interpretations and cultural influences. There has been a magnetic reluctance to shift our perspective about her ever since. It’s almost like the effort it would take a river to change directions.

A theologian is someone who studies God. I’m interested in what has been left out about our ideas about God. And this driving force led me to travel to Southern France to see for myself if the mythology about Mary was true. Surviving their miraculous escape after the crucifixion, three women named Mary, including Mother Mary and Mary Magdalene, along with Martha, Lazarus, and an Egyptian servant named Sarah are said to have landed at Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, now named for the arrival of the holy Mary’s from the sea. The story goes that each settled into a different area of France. Mary Magdalene traveled inland to what is now Saint-maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. She started a church and retired to live out her days in a grotto on the high hill of Saint Baume.

There is always a moment on any journey that I take that seems to define it. I was in the small, peaceful village of Couiza, hiking up to Cathar castles in Southern France. My internet was spotty allowing me to anchor in the soulful consciousness that surrounded me there. I felt protected from the storms of life in that peaceful place and each morning when I got up, I felt the fresh air clearing my throat, as well as my heart.

One afternoon I hiked up to a church that was carved out of a mountain over 2000 years ago- Gorges de Galamus. This was the place that was believed to have been where Mary Magdalene came after the death of Jesus.

I walked into the quiet air of the cave that was a chapel, which was tinctured with the scent of burning candles and a musty smell that reminded me of old prayer books. I took my seat on a rickety wooden bench. There wasn’t anyone sitting around me, and yet I instantly felt a warm, and gentle hug. I heard a soft voice that originated deep within my heart whisper, “Sister, welcome home.”

I’m not sure why but I immediately burst into a tsunami of uncontrollable tears, as if my soul could bleed an ocean through my eyes. That was the enormity of my sobbing. This was not an awakening. It felt like this was a memory. It was as if I was transported back in time. A photo was taken of me in this exact moment and a green translucent light was right beside me.

I’ve often wondered if Mary Magdalene survived the Christian persecution after the crucifixion. I believe that she did. I don’t know much, hardly anything at all really, but I do know that the heart is the portal into the impossible.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer–Creating a Meaningful Life.

Take the Trail Less Traveled

Michelle Cromer August 14, 2023 Leave a Comment

For the first time in our history, we spend more time with our screens than with people. The average person checks their phone approximately 150 times in 16 hours. Our devices are contributing to stress with feeling worse, jealous, depressed, and annoyed after checking updates. We are addicted to technology. The more plugged into things we get, the more disconnected to nature and to our souls we become. It seems we live in a world of smartphones and dumb people.

In the age of speed, I think that nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In the age of distraction, what could feel more luxurious than paying attention? I learned this on El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage and spiritual quest that others had taken in Northern Spain for more than a thousand years. While preparing for a journey, you own the journey; once you step onto the path, the journey owns you. Life slowed as I walked an average of 20 miles a day, day after day after day. Lessons and messages began appearing around every corner, and reflection became an everyday activity. And in the silence of my weeks, I began to hear the clear voice inside of me.

Whether it was hiking through the sun gate on top of Machu Picchu, or trekking through Mount Kailash on the high Tibetan plateau, all the hikes of my life have nourished my mind, body, and soul in ways I find impossible to replicate elsewhere.

Here are a few reasons to lace up your shoes, put on your backpack and look forward to outdoor adventure.

1. Hiking keeps you present.
According to the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca, to be truly happy is to enjoy the present moment, and I have to admit he knew what he was talking about. It’s hard not to be present when it’s just you and the world, one foot in front of the other, breathe in, breathe out. You can just be.
Additionally, walking or hiking meditation is a common Buddhist practice wherein the goal is simply to walk and be present with every step we take. While more traditional seated forms of meditation aren’t for everyone, a long hike helps still the mind that’s constantly thinking about what we have to do next. It’s one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

2. Hiking puts nature into perspective.
Up mountains, over hills, along plains, and through forests, hiking is a great — and increasingly rare — opportunity to get in touch with nature. It’s a pertinent reminder of how small we are and how vast and beautiful the world is. And, studies have shown that being among nature is a great stress reliever and can help lower incidences of depression.

3. Hiking invites a sense of adventure.
Hiking can be a unique way to explore a new place. My very first hike was in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert in Copper Canyon, Mexico, and it was a life-changing experience: we hiked all day and, climbed hills for awe-inspiring views and made our way down to the thermal springs at the bottom of Tararecua Canyon. Every minute of this adventure sowed the seeds that would lead to my love of hiking.

4. Hiking gives you space.
Physical space, of course, but more importantly the emotional and mental distance needed to momentarily place aside the pressures of balancing work, relationships, friendships, finances, and health. I’ve come to important realizations about myself while wandering. Alternatively, I’ve gone hiking and let my thoughts dance from the mundane to the ludicrous. And that’s OK too; both are necessary. But both require space.

5. Hiking fosters relationships.
This year I have plans to hike Mount Shasta in Northern California and the highlands of Scotland with mis amigos del alma – friends of my soul. Hiking gives us an opportunity to drop down into a sacred space and affords me the opportunity to have meaningful dialog with those that I love.

Everyone wants to reach the top of the mountain, but happiness and growth occur while you’re hiking it. Happy Trails!

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

Being Balanced is godly.

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